Moves aplenty during NHL free agency

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to a one- year contract with defenseman Christian Ehrhoff at the start of NHL free agency on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to a one- year contract with defenseman Christian Ehrhoff at the start of NHL free agency on Tuesday.

Ehrhoff and the Penguins agreed to a deal worth $4 million. Pittsburgh also signed goaltender Thomas Greiss and forward Blake Comeau to one-year contracts on Tuesday.

Ehrhoff, 31, became an unrestricted free agent recently after Buffalo used a compliance buyout to end his tenure with the Sabres. The German had seven years remaining on a 10-year, $40 million contract.

Ehrhoff posted 16 goals and 71 assists in 192 games with the Sabres. Over 692 career games with Buffalo, San Jose and Vancouver, the veteran blueliner has posted 313 points on 69 goals and 244 assists.

Greiss, 28, was signed for $1 million and will likely serve as the backup to No. 1 netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. The German backstop played for the Coyotes in 2013-14 and went 10-8-5 with a 2.29 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. In 69 career NHL outings, Greiss has compiled a 27-24-8 record along with a 2.43 GAA.

Comeau agreed to a $700,00 deal with Pittsburgh after recording five goals and 11 assists in 61 games with Columbus last season. The 28-year-old has 164 points (72G, 92A) over 422 career games with Calgary, Columbus and the New York Islanders.

Stastny to the Blues

The St. Louis Blues snagged one of the most sought-after free agents less than an hour into the frenzy, signing Paul Stastny to a four-year deal worth $28 million.

Stastny completed his eighth NHL season by picking up 25 goals and 35 assists over 71 regular-season games, adding 10 points (5G, 5A) in Colorado’s seven- game first-round loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Son of Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, the Avalanche’s second-round pick in the 2005 draft spent his entire career in Denver, totaling 160 goals and 298 assists over 538 games.

The 28-year-old center now joins fellow Sochi Olympics American teammates David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk, and looks to bolster a Blues offense which ranked fifth in the Western Conference last year with 248 goals.

Caps ink Orpik

The Washington Capitals have signed a pair of former division rivals to bolster the blueline and the crease.

Brooks Orpik, who spent his entire 11-year career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, will head to America’s capital thanks to a five-year deal worth $27.5 million.

"We are very excited to welcome Brooks to Washington," said Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan. "We feel Brooks’ leadership and experience will greatly enhance our defense for years to come. Brooks plays tough minutes against the opposition’s best players."

The 33-year-old Boston College product, who has won a national title (2001) and Stanley Cup (2009), has recorded only 132 points in 703 games.

However, at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Orpik — who has accumulated 734 penalty minutes — provides the Washington blueline with a tough and somewhat brutal presence.

Justin Peters, a who has spent the majority of his career shuttling between the AHL and NHL, joins the Caps with a two-year, $1.9 million deal.

"We are pleased to sign Justin to a two-year contract," added MacLellan. "We feel he is just entering his prime and has a tremendous upside. We look forward to him working with our goaltending coach Mitch Korn to reach his potential."

Last season, Peters participated in a career-high 21 games for Carolina, going 7-9-4 with a 2.50 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and one shutout.

In parts of five seasons with the Hurricanes, the 27-year-old backstop holds a 22-31-8 record, 3.05 GAA and three shutouts over 68 appearances.

The Capitals also re-signed forward Michael Latta to a two-year contract.